The subject matter herein relates generally to fiber optic devices and more particularly, to an interconnect device having a shaped optical fiber endface mirror that enables a compact right angle source launch assembly.
Fiber optics are used in a wide variety of applications. The use of optical fibers as a medium for transmission of digital data (including voice data) is becoming increasingly more common due to the high reliability and large bandwidth available with optical transmission systems. Fundamental to these systems are optical assemblies for transmitting and/or receiving optical signals.
One conventional device for transmitting optical signals includes a silicon substrate having a groove formed therein for securing the optical fiber. The substrate serves as the main foundation for the optical assembly and also serves to secure the optical fiber in a fixed position. The conventional groove is preferably formed in the shape of a “V” by etching the substrate to include two sidewalls that retain the optical fiber along its length and an end face that is used as a mirror device. The conventional V-groove has a particular pitch α, which is the angle between the walls of the V-groove and a top or reference surface in which the V-groove was etched. Each of the sidewalls and the end face are typically formed at a precise angle of 54.7 degrees from the reference surface due to the crystalline structure of silicon.
During operation, the end face of the conventional device V-channel is metalized so that it may be used as mirror to launch light into an optical fiber. Specifically, a light source emits a cone-shaped light beam onto the V-channel end face mirror. The V-channel end face mirror reflects the light through an end of the optical fiber. As discussed above, the surface of the V-channel end face is at an angle of precisely 54.7 degrees from the reference surface. As such, light is reflected off the channel end face mirror through the optical fiber at approximately −9.3 degrees from the reference surface. However, current devices utilizing the end face mirror of the channel to launch light through an end of the optical fiber causes much of the light to be reflected away from the axis of the optical fiber resulting in non-optimal signal transmission performance.